Gigs, Links, and a Summer Break
[suggestion box open]
Busy week! On Tuesday and Friday, I’m at the Joyce Theater with the Mark Morris Dance Group playing for the James P. Johnson dance “You've Got to Be Modernistic,” which is part of Program A, “Soul of America: Jazz and Pop.” (Colin Fowler will play the James P. on Wednesday night and Saturday matinee.) On Wednesday I’m at 92NY with the Billy Hart quartet, then on Saturday and Sunday I’m down in D.C. playing the music of Thelonious Monk at Blues Alley.
This Wednesday: Jazz in July at the 92NY — Billy Hart quartet featuring Nicole Glover, Ethan Iverson and Tyrone Allen II. This is the opening concert of the Jazz in July “Echoes of Miles” series curated by Aaron Diehl. Interview with Aaron here.
On the weekend, Saturday/Sunday July 18/19, I play the Thelonious Monk songbook at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. with Herman Burney and Nasar Abadey. The D.C. scene!
I wrote about the centennial of the Hot Fives and Sevens for Tablet, “We Should all Sing Louis Armstrong.” Thanks to Tony Badran for a good edit.
The Buzz: The JJA Podcast: “We Should Talk About Music”: Matthew Shipp and Ethan Iverson on writing as practice, hosted by Bob Blumenthal.
John Purcell: “Lester’s Dream” (Wow.)
Vinnie Sperrazza: “Smilin’ The Blues Away: Zutty Singleton”
Lee Mergner: “My Top Ten ECM albums”
Ted Gioia: “What Is My American Identity, Really?”
Paul Griffiths: “A Moment with Harrison Birtwistle”
Welcome Robin D. G. Kelley to Substack: “On Tricia Rose, Greg Tate, and Black Cultural Genius”
Welcome Steve Futterman to Substack: “Ornette Meets Clive: A Brief Encounter”
Welcome composer Daniel Felsenfeld to Substack: “Hapless Transmission #1: Let’s Start from the Very Beginning”
Thanks very much to paid subscribers, who enable the periodic reviews of current records. There have been two substantial pieces so far this year:
Recent concertos (Gabriel Kahane, Scott Wheeler, and Douglas Cuomo/Joe Lovano, plus Yehudi Wyner and Tobias Picker)
Solo piano (Jason Moran, Yvonne Rogers, Marta Sanchez, Magda Mayas, Marc-André Hamelin, plus Jonathan Paik and Brad Mehldau)
If you have heard something that you think I should review in the fall, feel free to drop that album in the comments. Bonus points if you can tell me why I should listen in a sentence or two. As should be clear by now, I am especially interested in lineage, for nobody is without references or influences. One of the most important things I’ve ever read was said in an interview with Joss Whedon: “There are no new ideas, just fresh ways of combining old ideas.”
When I look back at the archive of Transitional Technology in 2026 it seems like I’ve written a lot, maybe even too much! I’m going to take the rest of July off and maybe just post once in August. Thanks for reading, thanks for listening.
I really like that photo of Billy and Nicole. I haven't met either but they seem like good people.
The Yvonne Rogers recommendation has opened up so many new avenues to me. Cheers from my ears. My account balance, however, is making rude gestures I won't attempt to articulate.